In Karen's Mind
by BlanchetteAndre94
Summary: Find out what went throught Karen's mind in "Women's Appreciation," "Beach Games," and "The Job." Truth be told, this story is both cannon AND non-cannon. Half and half. I apologize if its confusing at times. If it is, feel free to msg me and I'll explain. Also, I know it's a little out-dated and I apologize for any Jim/Pam fan as well as any Karen fan. I'm mean to all three.
1. Chapter 1

"Women's Appreciation"

* * *

It's been stressful these past of couple of days. She and Jim have still been discussing their present situation late into the night, and that was almost every night. She was starting to feel overwhelmed and depressed. She knows Pam does have feelings for her boyfriend, Jim; she wasn't too worried about that, until she asked Jim if he still had feelings for Pam, and he said yes.

Her mind was racing and her heart was breaking. She didn't get angry or upset with him, instead she let it be. I guess she wasn't so surprised. She knew deep down inside that there was a possibility that Jim still being in love with Pam. But she pushed those thoughts away, thinking maybe, if Jim stuck with her until the end, then maybe he could forget about Pam and realize that she was the one for him.

She was terribly in love with him. She wanted to be with him, night and day. Hell, she even moved to Scranton for him.

She really does believe that he is the one.

* * *

It was yet another bland Monday morning at the office. Her co-workers were gossiping to each other while Micheal wasn't in yet.

She walked over to Jim's desk. "Hey," she said. "Hey, what's up?" replied Jim, smiling. Ah! His smile made her whole body tingle, she loved his smile and his dorky facial expressions. They made her fall head-over-heels. "So, I was thinking that maybe you and I should have dinner tonight. There's this new restaurant that opened up downtown called "Lo Zingaro." It means "The Gypsy" in Italian. So it's an Italian restaurant, " she said. "Italian," he said reluctantly. "Well, if you don't like Italian we can go somewhere else," she replied. "No," said Jim, a little too fast. "Italian sounds great," he finished, "at 8?" "Yeah, at 8."

"I think I just got flashed?" said someone near the receptionist's desk. The office went quiet and everybody looked up. It was Phyllis.

"What? Really?" said Pam. "In the parking lot," replied Phyllis.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Pam.

Karen couldn't believe it. Was there some sick maniac out there flashing women in Scranton? If so, she didn't want to be alone when she left work. She'll ask Jim later if he can walk her to her car.

Out of nowhere, Dwight get ups and runs toward the entrance and towards outside. "MOVE!" he yelled, pushing Phyllis as he ran. A part of her wanted to laugh at Dwight and how badly he wanted to be a police officer, but then she remembered the current situation and held herself together. Pam got up from her desk and walked over to comfort Phyllis.

Oh, how Karen hated Pam! She suddenly felt angry and jealous.

"Okay, I'll call the real police," said Jim. Karen wanted to laugh again, thinking about Dwight, and yet again she remembered Phyllis. "What happened? What can I do to help?" asked Andy. God, he was always butting in. He was always so annoying, but Karen enjoyed his company from time to time. When no one answered Andy, he just said, "I'll check the web."

"Ok, the police are on it," said Jim, "They've already had three calls."

Pam asked Phyllis, "Can you tell us what happened?" "Well," said Phyllis, "I was walking to the building and this man asked me for directions. And he was holding a map and when I walked over, he had "it" out...on the map." After while, everyone went back to their desks to gossip about what just happened while "Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration" took Phyllis for a walk, hoping to calm her over, when Michael came in. "What's happening?" he asked. "Oh, some guy just exposed himself to Phyllis in the parking lot," replied Pam. A look of shock swept over Michael, "Really? Is she okay?" he asked. "Yeah," replied Pam, reassuringly.

"Phyllis, you say?" he asked again, a stupid smirk forming on his face. _Oh no_, thought Karen. _Why does he have to laugh now?_ She looked over to her co-workers and she could see the disbelief that was spreading on their faces. All of them were so shocked to see how lightly Michael was taking this. "What is so funny?" asked Angela, in an ice-cold voice. Shivers went Karen's spine. Angela could be down-right cruel and sometimes that could be a good thing, like now.

"I mean, did he even see Pam?" asked Micheal, "or Karen from behind?" Karen looked at her idiotic boss with widened eyes. She suddenly became self-conscious. Did she have a fat ass or no ass at all? Why was Micheal looking at her from behind? She felt violated too. _God, he such an ass_, she thought. "I guess not," Kevin said. Karen just wanted to slap Kevin right there and then, but remembered her manners in the workplace. Plus, Kevin was slow. It would be like hitting a mentally challenged or a person with a disability. That would look bad on her.

Micheal continued laughing, well, not really laughing. It was more like wheezing. "Well, I mean it's funny when you think about," he said. "No, it's not" said Jim. She looked over and saw how serious Jim was. She really admired her boyfriend and appreciated how he wasn't such a dog like all the other guys she dated. She wanted to kiss him.

Karen could hear that Pam was arguing with Micheal, when all of sudden Micheal turned around. And when he turned around again, he had his had in pants and his index finger was sticking out of his fly, resembling his penis.

_He is such a child_, she thought.

* * *

Karen was walking towards the conference room where Phyllis was trying to describe the pervert who flashed her to Pam, so she could sketch a possible suspect. She entered the conference room with several pieces of paper in her hand. They were guidelines or rules Dwight had set up for the female employees of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. "Women will be sent home if they were makeup or wear heels exceeding 1/4 inch. Females are not allowed to speak to strangers unless given written authorization by Dwight Schrute. This is ridiculous." she said. And speaking of the devil, Dwight walks in.

"Attention," said Dwight, "I'm removing all bananas from the kitchen." And then walked out. He was so random at times. Karen walked out of the conference room, angry, and confronted Dwight about his rules. "It's insulting," she said, her anger boiling to the surface. Pam walked up to her side (why does she have to be standing next to her?) and continued reading from Dwight's set of rules, "Sleeves down to the wrists, buttoned-up collars, and muted colors."

Finally, Micheal intervened. "Okay, you know what Dwight? We are not the terrorists. Why don't you just take these women, put them in a burlap sack, and hit them with a stick? Because that is what you are doing."

* * *

Minutes later, all the women of the workplace along with Micheal hopped into Meredith's van and drove down to The Steamtown Mall.


	2. Chapter 2

They all walked into the crowded Steamtown Mall when a blast of warm air hit Karen's body. _Ah_, she thought. The hairs stood up on her arms and chills went down her spine. That warmth did felt so good. It had been cold as ice outside, even in Meredith's van.

"Hey, is anyone hungry now? Because I am," said Michael. "Come on, let's go to the food court," he finished saying, obviously not letting anyone answer his question. Micheal got on the escalator leading to the second floor, where the food court was, and all the women followed him. Karen was the last one on the escalator and when she was half-way up she could see how _indeed_ crowded the mall was. It must have been winter break for the kids. There were tons of them at the mall today.

When she finally got on the second floor, she could already see Micheal saving a table for them and when they all sat down and told him what they wanted to eat, he got in line. When he finally got back, he started conversing with them. "So, let's dish," he said. Karen looked to her co-workers and she saw that they were, in fact, uncomfortable with this. She took a sip of her drink; an unsweetened iced tea. "What do you want to dish about?" asked Pam. "Anything you guys want. This is your time, " replied Micheal.

Everyone remained quiet and it got awkward. Karen tried look anywhere else but at Micheal. She even briefly locked eyes with Pam, but she quickly looked away. So did Pam.

Out of the blue, Micheal asked, "What is a Pap smear? Or is it shmear?" Karen couldn't believe that Micheal had asked that and she could see that he was truly enjoying himself, while Angela looked like she wanted to slap Micheal. Her look almost made Karen choke on the chips she was eating.

"Okay, new topic, " said Pam. She turned to Kelly. "How are things with Ryan?"

"Awesome," replied Kelly, "awful, I mean," contradicting herself. Karen just looked at Kelly. She couldn't believe how incredibly stupid one person could be. Kelly was such a Barbie doll wannabe.

"So, what do you think of role play?" asked Micheal, cutting off Kelly. "Well, it can be fun," replied Phyllis, a smile spreading across her face. All of sudden, Karen imagined a scenario that Phyllis and Bob Vance could role-play. Oh, God, why did she have to imagine that? I gonna be sick, she thought. "Well," continued Micheal, "Jan has this schoolgirl fantasy."

She thought of her earlier boyfriends and how she played the role-played with them. She came to the conclusion that she never role-played with Jim, but they did have _amazing_ sex. It was almost too good to be true. Besides, Jim wasn't the guy for role-play.

"Yeah," she found her-self saying, "that's a pretty common one."

"I, uh," Micheal was saying, staggering. " I...I just feel uncomfortable wearing the dress," he finished saying. Karen felt her eyes widened. She suddenly felt uncomfortable. _Why would Jan do such a thing to a poor helpless man?_ she thought. "Okay," said Angela, "I'm going to the doll store." _Creepy_, Karen thought. _Does she have a whole collection antique dolls? _

"Micheal, you shouldn't be doing anything you're not comfortable with, " said Pam. Karen had to agree with her on this one. She still couldn't believe how sick Jan is. "Jan says that doesn't scare us is not worth doing," he replied. "I don't know," he continued, "Maybe we're different people. I like cuddling and spooning, and she likes videotaping us during sex." Oh yeah, Karen did that with her earlier boyfriends too, but not with Jim. Maybe she should try spicing their love life. They were getting dull in bed lately.

"And then we watch it back afterwards so I can improve my form," said Micheal. She thought she should say something, because she never treated her boyfriends like that, even if they were douchebags. "That is not healthy behavior," she said. "No, it's not that bad," exclaimed Micheal. His eyes were deceiving. "The worst part is that she shows it to her therapist," Micheal said. "Micheal," said Pam, "you need to get of this." Still, Micheal defended Jan, claiming it was a "woman thing." Karen found her-self shaking her head. That wasn't how women treated men. God, Micheal definitely needs help. Maybe this "Women's Appreciation Day" wasn't for them, but for him.

"Normal women don't do stuff like that," explained Pam. Karen found her-self nodding in agreement. Tears were starting to well up his eyes.

* * *

Pam suggested that Micheal should make a pros and cons list about Jan on a piece of napkin. He started reading the pros and then moved on the cons. Karen stopped dead in her tracks when he heard Micheal say "I'm unhappy when I'm with her." She thought of Jim and how he loved Pam for a very long time. It made her question about her relationship with Jim. What if he was unhappy with her and wanted to be with Pam instead?

"Micheal, you shouldn't be with someone who makes you unhappy," Pam said. "Well, um, I'm happy sometimes," he said. "Look," Karen said, "most relationships have their rough patches. You just have to push through it sometimes."

"Yeah, that's smart," Micheal said. "Maybe, but it sounds like you're just wrong for each other," explained Pam. Karen felt her anger and her sorrow boiling inside her. It was as if that explanation was directed to her and Jim. She looked at Pam, and she saw that Pam had indeed directed that to her. That bitch! How could she?! She wanted to gauge Pam's eyes out right there and then, but instead slowly sunk back down into her chair.

"I don't know what to do guys," said Micheal in a sad voice. Karen felt sad too. "I bet you know. Don't think, just answer. What do you want to do about Jan?" asked Phyllis forcefully and rapidly. "I want to break up with Jan, " answered Micheal. Karen felt her sink. Will Jim break up with her? "Wow," she heard Micheal said, "I wanna break up with Jan."

* * *

After lunch was consumed and after Angela rejoined the group, Micheal got some "no-calorie" yogurt, or so he claimed. "Oh, hey," he said, "I want to do something nice for you, because you did something nice for me earlier. I want you to go in there. I want you to buy one item on me as a thank you." Karen looked up from the tile and saw that they were standing in front of a Victoria's Secret.

Kelly rushed in and Karen wanted laugh again.

* * *

Karen found the best set of undies and bra. It was green and it had pink flowers on it with lace. She walked up to Phyllis, since she was the closest to Pam, and asked her opinion; it was payback. "Jim's gonna love it," said Phyllis.

Karen was truly enjoying her-self and she knew that Pam overheard. She walked over to lines and waited. _Jim is definitely going to love this_, she thought. _He's in for a treat_.


	3. Chapter 3

The bitter-cold months of winter and spring have passed, and now warm summer days were consistent. Karen and Jim have been dating for eleven months now, almost a whole year, and their relationship has gone extremely well. Sure, they fought then and now, but at least if wasn't about Jim's feelings for Pam. It's as if Jim finally got over Pam...but has Pam gotten over Jim?

Karen didn't care.

For the first time in months, Jim was all her's. And she was incredibly happy.

* * *

"Beach Games"

There was another reason about why Karen was so happy today. Other than it being Friday, today was "Beach Day." A holiday only Micheal could come up with for his employees on such a short notice. Technically, they're all supposed to be working like all the other branches, and most days Karen would've preferred working than going to the beach. But Karen hasn't been able to take a day off yet, and she's been dying to relax more at work.

Work always stressed her out, and she was always worrying about not having enough money at the end of month to pay her bills. She desperately needed to get away from work, but Jim was always there for her, so that counts as something, right?

So, today was Friday and "Beach Day," and she gets to spend a relaxing, warm day with her boyfriend. What could go wrong?

* * *

"Okay, everybody have their towels and swimsuits?" asked Micheal, wearing a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt. "We have about an hour-and-half. I suggest you all go potty now," Micheal finished saying, "And then we will be congregating on the 'par-tay' bus."

Karen could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone was _definitely_ looking forward to this day. Eating grilled hot dogs, sunbathing on the sand, playing beach volleyball, and swimming. Today was a treat, and Karen was looking forward to savor every bite.

She looked over to Jim's desk and stared at him. His quirky and dorky personality, his tousled locks, his green-hazel eyes, his hilarious pranks on Dwight, and his sarcasm. God, she loved everything about him. She found her-self smiling, while her heart was beating like a hammer against her chest.

She was lucky to have him.

She let out a deep and slow sigh, and turned her head back to her computer and focused on her work. She would've a least complete almost all of her paperwork before they took off. That way she wouldn't be overwhelmed with loads of it when she returned on Monday.

"Anyone need sunscreen?" she heard someone say to her left. It was Toby. "Its got an SPF 30."

"Oh, you know what?" said Micheal, "You're not going." Almost too well-planned and well-thought.

"But it's Beach Day," whined Toby. "I know, I'm sorry Toby. But somebody has to stay here. A-a-and work," stumbled Micheal. _Why does he have to be so mean to Toby?_ she thought to her-self. He could at least give the guy a break.

She felt bad for Toby. She followed him with her eyes as he walked over to Pam's desk. The whole office knew that Toby has a crush on Pam, including Jim, but that excludes Pam. _Couldn't she take a hint?_ she thought. It's pretty obvious that Toby is in love with her. _What makes Pam so desirable, anyway? _It seemed as if everyone use to have or has a crush on Pam.

She tried to focus on her work, but she felt her-self peeking a look at Pam and Toby. He handed his sunscreen to her, and he was clearly upset about something. Either she said something unintentionally, or maybe he just realized that yet again, another opportunity to confess his feelings for her has passed. Toby turned away from Pam's desk and dragged his feet all the way back to his desk, while his eyes were looking at the gray-blue carpet.

She noticed that now Micheal has walked over to Pam and was whispering to her. After a moment, a look of disappointment spread across Pam's face. Karen quickly shook her head and returned to her work. "Okay, let's go! Come on, come on, come on!" yelled Micheal, enthusiastically. Everyone started to turn off their computers immediately and pack up.

Once Karen was ready to go, she walked over to Jim's desk, tip-toed and slowly kissed him. His lips were like honey; so sweet.

"Mmm, wow," he said, clearly enjoying that kiss. "What was that for?" he asked, a little confused. It _was_ completely random. "What?" she replied, "I can't kiss my boyfriend?"

She felt a smile spreading on her face; she was toying with him. "Alright," Jim said, laughing, "Let's go."

* * *

As soon as Karen stepped out of the air-conditioned two-story building, if felt like a someone blasted hot air from a hair dryer at full speed. It must have been over 90 degrees; this was incredibly hot, even for Pennsylvania.

"Okay, this way to the 'par-tay' bus!" exclaimed Micheal. I guess he was oblivious to the heat.

After Karen threw her bags in the compartment underneath the bus, she followed Jim and climbed into the "par-tay" bus. Thank goodness that the bus had cool air. She could easily fall asleep in here.

After they all settled in and the bus took off, Kevin started singing almost immediately. "On a warm summer's eve. On a train bound for nowhere. I met up with a gambler. We were both too tired to sleep." Karen recognized the song. It was Kenny Roger's "The Gambler". A classic she always loved, ever since she was a kid. All of sudden, everyone starts singing along, as if right on cue. Karen was surprised to hear the bus in union; she thought no one knew this song.

Micheal, out of all the people, was singing the most obnoxiously. His voice clearly stands out of the crowd. After the singing, she heard Micheal get up and start talking. "Attention, everyone! Today we are not just spending a day at the beach."

"Oh, sweet Mother of God," moaned Stanley. Out of all his co-workers, Stanley hated everything Micheal did, even the good things. "If you don't like it Stanley," replied Micheal, "then you can sit at the back of the bus."

"Excuse me," said Stanley. That remark woke him up. "Or you can sit at the front of the bus...or in the middle...or where ever you like," explained Micheal. Karen looked over to Jim and saw that dorky look that he always gave to the cameras. She wanted to laugh.

"We are all participating in mandatory activities. Funtivities! And there is a special secret price for the winner," continued Micheal.

"Yes! Funtivities!" interrupted Dwight. "I knew it wasn't just a trip to the beach."

"Okay, you know what? Your enthusiasm is turning people off," replied Micheal. "I hope there will be management parables," Dwight continued to say, obviously not offended by Micheal's remark.

Karen hoped that everyone will stay quiet after this.

* * *

Thirty-seven minutes later, Karen woke up with an ache in her neck. She had been napping on Jim's shoulder. She looked over to him and saw that he was fast asleep against the window. She hoped she hadn't bothered him by sleeping on his shoulder.

She turned her head around and caught a glimpse of everyone. Almost everyone was asleep except for Dwight, who was reading a manual of some sort, and Pam, who was sketching. She decided to take out her Ipod and listen to some classical music. No one in the office knew, except for Jim, that she was an incredible violinist. She was so bad-ass that even from time to time, her parents stared at her in awe and wonder. As a kid, she always dreamed of playing in a symphony. It _was_ still her dream, in fact. But things changed and she had to face a reality check. She couldn't afford to attend a four-year university, just like she had dreamed of. Instead, she majored in Business and Music Theory at a local community college and graduated three years later.

* * *

After an hour and a half, they finally arrived at the scene. Karen looked out the window and saw the crystal, blue lake. Just by looking at it, she felt a sudden serene feeling pass through her. She couldn't wait to relax.

"Here we are, ladies and gentlemen," said Micheal, happily. "Everybody ready?" he asked. "Last one down is a rotten egg!"

Karen stepped out of the bus to retrieve her bags when she felt someone bump into her. She turned around and saw Pam. "Sorry," Pam said softly, "I slipped."

"That's okay," she replied. She wondered if Pam had done that on purpose.

* * *

After a few minutes, everyone was picking spots on the shore. Jim was ahead of her, so he picked a spot relatively close the water. "Hey," she said. "Hey you," he replied. She just sat down when Micheal ordered them to get up. Couldn't they at least lay on the shore for a while?

"We are situated on the northeast corner of scenic Lake Scranton, America's eighth largest indigenous body of water," stated Micheal. She doubt that it was true.

"It is here that a group of Americans," he continued, "will undergo the ultimate challenge. One day, fourteen strangers who work together-but only one survivor."

_What is this?_, thought Karen. _Survivor? _

"What?!" she heard Oscar say. "Just words-inspiring words," explained Micheal. "Not a contender," he said under his breath, but she knew that everyone still heard him. "For the competition, you will be divided into four tribes," he continued to say, "Each tribe will have a leader that I will pick off the top of my head. Umm, Jim, Andy, Dwight, and Stanley."

"Choose your tribes, except for Pam. Not Pam," Micheal finished off saying. _What is Micheal doing with Pam?_ Karen thought. Yet, deep down inside her, she was glad that Pam wasn't going to play with them. She looked like a sour-puss anyways.

She watched Jim, Andy, and Stanley walk up to the front and join Dwight. "Karen," she heard Jim say with a smile on his face. She quickly walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss and a chest-bump. She suddenly felt Pam's eyes on her.

Jim also chose Kevin.

And now everyone has picked their teams, now it was time to pick a team name.

"We will be called Gryffindor!" yelled Dwight proudly. Dwight is the biggest geek Karen had ever seen in entire life. And that was coming from a geek too. "Really? Not Slytherin?" asked Jim. _Oh boy_, thought Karen, _here we go_. "Slytherin are the bad guys, Jim," stated Dwight. "I know," said Jim, "okay, we will be Voldemort."

"He Who Must Not Be Named," said Dwight in a serious manner, "I wouldn't do that if I was you."

"Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort," Jim was saying. Then she and Kevin joined in the chant. She loved messing around with Dwight, even if it distracted her from her work at the office.

* * *

"It is time for the great spoon and egg race," Micheal exclaimed. "This one is with a little twist. The person carrying the egg will be blindfolded. Please put on your blindfolds," he finished saying. Karen suddenly felt a piece of cloth across her face and her sight was gone. She realized that she will be the one to carry the egg on the spoon. She heard her-self laugh. All she had to do was walk straight ahead and circle the torch and walk back. _This is easy_, she thought. What made it easier was Jim directing her. "Okay, whoa, whoa," he said, "there's a giant hole. Just step over the hole." _Was there a hole? I didn't see a hole on my way over here_, she thought. Maybe Jim was messing with her.

She made a giant step over the "hole" and probably looked like an idiot doing it. "Ooh, perfect," Jim was saying, "just made it. Okay, now turn left." Karen turned left and continued to walk forward. "That's it," she heard Jim say, "just follow my voice and just keep walking straight ahead." Karen sped up her pace when she heard Jim say, "Whoa, stop, there's another hole." _Was there really? And why did the sand get so steep all of sudden? _But she went ahead and made a giant step when she felt her right foot hit the icy water. She lifted up her blindfold and found that she was on the edge of the late. She immediately started chasing Jim. "You ass!" she said, clearly enjoying the moment. She threw the egg at Jim, hoping to get him on his chest or his head, but the egg hit his back when he turned around.

The egg didn't even crack. "God, I throw like a girl," she said. "You _are_ a girl," Jim replied.

She continued to chase him around the lake until he turned around to face her and tackled her."Oohhh," she said in pain. But they were still laughing at each other. She was lying on her back and he was hovering over her. After the laughing ceased, he smiled at her, lowered his body, and kissed her slowly. She used her hands to grab the sides of his face and pull him closer.

When he pulled away, he said those three wonderful words that she has been dying to hear for a long time. "I love you," he said.

She couldn't help but smile and stroke his cheek.

"I love you, too," she replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time. My college experience as a freshman has been a bumpy road; one that I'm getting used to. But, to continue, here's the next chapter of the story. =) Enjoy!**

* * *

After a while, they decided to head back towards shore.

Karen could see that Michael had set up a picnic table and was serving a _load_ of hot dogs. She concluded that there will be a hot dog eating contest soon because ordinary people couldn't and wouldn't eat _that_ many hot dogs on their own free will. "Come on you par-tay people!" yelled Michael. She _really_ did not want to eat hot dogs. In fact, she hardly ate them.

"Alright! Who's hungry?" asked Michael. Everyone started to reach for a hot dog when Michael stopped them. It was, indeed, a hot dog contest. Her instincts always right, it seemed.

"On your mark, get set" Michael exclaimed. "Can I have a turkey burger?" asked Kelly. "No," replied Michael, "I have the only one. I claimed it."

"But turkey is a much healthier meat, Michael," whined Oscar. "And I don't eat meat," said Angela. All of sudden, everyone started to talk over each other. Karen could see that Michael was getting frustrated with them._ Imagine that_, thought Karen, _Michael getting frustrated with us_. "Ok, ok, ok, guys, come on," said a frustrated Michael, "it is very important that you eat as many hot dogs as you can, alright? Ok, on your mark, get set, EAT!"

"Is there any mustard?" asked Phyllis. "No mustard, no mustard, Phyllis," said Michael, "just eat it."

After an awkward pause, hardly anyone was eating hot dogs. "Come one," whined Michael, "the winner gets a big, big prize."

"What is it?" asked Meredith, her face stuffed with a hot dog. Karen was morbidly disgusted by the way she chewed and talked at the same time. "I can't say it," replied Michael.

"You can't say it, or you can't pronounce it?" replied Jim, obviously toying with their boss. Karen heard her-self laugh. "The winner," yelled a now distraught Michael, "gets a regional manager's salary for a year and a Sebring and the feeling that they are making a difference in the world." He added, "The winner of today gets my job."

Karen looked up towards Michael, then down towards Jim, and then Michael again. _Is he being serious?_, she thought. The current turn of events have completely altered her perspective of the office and her boss. Michael was a complete and utterly idiotic moron, and worse, her co-workers were too. This wasn't the way to get promoted, you had to work hard for it. And besides, Michael said that he was going to New York for an interview for an open position. It hasn't even been set, and he's confident that he already has the job?!

Karen decided that this will not do. She came up with a plan and mapped it out in her head. It was perfect. And then she thought of Jim. _Jim should know about this too_, thought Karen.

* * *

The sun was starting to go down and the day was almost over. Karen could see that Michael, with the help of others, was prepping for one last game. But she didn't understand the pile of wood near the shore. It looked like they were prepping for a bonfire but couldn't be since they had one game left. _I guess I have to wait to find out_, thought Karen.

She found Jim a littler farther from the campsite skipping stones on the water. "Hey," she said. "Hey you," he said with a smile on his face. She stood next to him, facing the water, watching him skip stone after stone. A moment passed when he turned towards her and asked her if she wanted to try. "Ooh," she said, her face crunching up. "I never skipped a stone in my life, believe it or not," she finished. "Really?" asked a surprised and disbelieved Jim. "It's easy," he continued to say, "here, I'll show you."

He picked up a stone off the sand and handed it to her. "Okay," Jim said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, "so what you want to do is extend your arm just like that, make sure your palm is facing the water, and then just flick it." She did what she was told and to her surprise, she skipped her first stone almost perfectly. "Wow," exclaimed Jim. He was just as surprised as she was. "Are you sure you never skipped a stone in your life?" he asked her. "No," Karen replied, enjoying her-self. "Have you ever given any thought that maybe I have an excellent teacher?" she asked Jim.

Jim looked up at her and smiled shyly. His eyes were somewhat hidden beneath his baseball cap and his hands were tucked in his pockets. It looked like he wanted to say something, but was being cautious about it.

Finally, it was Karen who spoke up. "So, " she said, "I've been thinking about that interview." She tried to look reassuringly at Jim. "You mean the one Michael's going for?" asked Jim. "Yeah," she replied. "I was thinking that maybe you and I should try to go for that interview. I mean, I know how long you've been waiting for a chance like this. We always thought about working for corporate, I mean, since there's hardly anything here in Scranton for us. It will be a good change." After finishing her sentence, she placed her thumbs in her pockets, shrugged her shoulders, and smiled at Jim.

"You read my mind," Jim replied. "What?" she found her-self saying. "I was thinking the same thing and I was thinking we should call David...today," he said.

"Alright," said Karen. She was happy with the response Jim had given her.

They sat down on the sand, sitting in front of the waves. Jim took out his cell and dialed David's number. Karen couldn't help but feel ecstatic and over-joyed. _Maybe today wasn't such a bad day_, she thought.

Moments passed when Jim was finally done speaking on the phone: he was closing in on the call. "Great," he said. The sun was setting even further and the weather got a little cooler too. "Yeah, I'll see you next week. Thank you. And here is Karen Filipelli." He passed his cell to her and she put the receiver next to her ear. "Hello?" she said. "Yeah, hi, David. Yes, I would like to be considered for the corporate position in well." Jim suddenly turned to face her. His expression all but indicated that he was ready to laugh. "'In well'?" he said, taunting her. "As well," she corrected her-self.

"How would that work-in well?" asked Jim. Karen couldn't help but chuckle along but at the same time she wanted to smack him on the back of his head. Instead, she hushed him. "I just want to know," said Jim, a smile spreading across his face. "Yes," said Karen, ignoring his taunts. "Yes, thank you so much David, and I will also see you next week." She handed Jim's cell back to him and playfully punched him on the side of shoulder.

* * *

As it turns out, Michael's next game involved walking across scalding hot coals. No one went, except for Dwight, and that was a scary sight to see. She knew Dwight was crazy but she didn't realize that he was this insane since he practically just stood on top of the coals for a while. _That guy has some serious issues_, she thought.

Pam wanted to walk across the coals too, but Michael turned her down. Karen noticed that she hasn't felt any resentment towards Pam in a long time. _I guess that's a good thing_, she thought to her-self. But still, they hardly spoke.

Afterwards, Karen and her co-workers gathered around a much smaller bonfire to discuss the future of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. Michael referred to it as "sudden-death, winner-take-all."

"Okay, without further ado, Jim and Dwight," yelled Michael. Karen realized that Stanley was no longer competing, but she also noticed that Andy wasn't there with them. _Where is that guy? _She saw Jim rise from his seat and turned to faced Michael. "Hey," he said, "I know what you're looking for, but I gotta be honest. I really don't think I should be considered as your replacement."

"You are being too modest," replied Michael. "Michael, on Thursday, I'm gonna drive down and interview with David for the open position in New York," Jim interrupted.

Karen looked up at her boss and she saw that he was slightly taken aback and annoyed. _Good_, she thought. He was such a moron that she was hoping for someone to put him in his place. Jim did exactly that.

Michael turned away from Jim and focused on Dwight, who was attempting to tell a joke. Though, Karen could tell just from the beginning of the joke that it was distasteful and not funny. She tried to think of the interview. She wondered if she were to get the job, she would convince Jim to come and live with her in New York. She knew if that Jim got the position instead of her, without a doubt, she would come and live with him. The thought of them living together in the bustling streets of New York was serene and sublime. She felt so relaxed and at ease.

"Hey, I want to say something," someone said. She recognized the voice. It was Pam. She looked extremely happy and as if she were running on adrenaline. "I've been trying to be more honest lately, and I just need to say a few things. I did the coal walk!" she screamed. Karen surprised her-self when she smiled at Pam's words. _Wow_, she thought, _all that hate has gone away. Maybe there's still time for her and me to patch up some things. _

"Michael, you couldn't even do that. Maybe I should be your boss. Wow, I feel really good," said Pam. "Why didn't any of you come to my art show?" she asked.

Karen felt her smile go away and turned towards Jim. She saw that he had a smile too, but it was slowly fading away. He seemed a little disappointed. "Its like sometimes you guys act like I don't even exist," Pam finished saying. Karen looked around the group and saw that everyone was either looking away towards the water or the ground. No one wanted to look Pam in the eye, not even her. She suddenly felt terrible about the way she felt and thought about Pam. It was unfair to think of her in that way.

Karen noticed that Pam shifted her feet and was now facing Jim. "Jim, I called off my wedding because of you. And now we're not even friends. And things are just weird between us. And I miss you," proclaimed Pam.

_Oh no_, Karen thought. _She was still in love with him_. She felt anger and jealously starting to boil inside her. _Why does she have to do this now?_

"You were my best friend before you went to Stamford, and I really miss you," continued Pam. Karen could see that her eyes were starting to well up. She was slightly annoyed by that. "I shouldn't have been with Roy. There were a lot of reasons why I should've called off my wedding, but I didn't care about those reason until I met you."

_That's it_, Karen thought, _she's proclaiming her love for him in front of the office. God, she's so stupid. Why did this bitch have to do this now? Is she fucking blind? Hello! I'm the one who is dating Jim, not her! Jim's mine, not her's! _She wanted to walk up towards Pam and slap her, but resisted. "And now you're with someone else," Pam said, "and that's fine-."

_Bitch_.

Karen noticed that Pam had just realized that she was technically saying 'I love you' to Jim. "Okay, my feet really hurt," Pam continued to say, "What I'm just trying to say to you Jim is that I missing having fun with you." Everyone was staring at Pam in disbelief, especially Jim. Karen took a peek at him and what she saw broke her heart. He looked ashamed and saddened about his whole relationship with Pam. She came to believe that Jim was still in love with Pam.

She watched Pam run towards the water, hoping to cool off her burned feet. _Why did she have to ruin everything?_, thought Karen. _Everything would've been so much better if she just wasn't in the picture! _She clenched her knuckles and heard them crack. She was ready to punch Pam in the face.

* * *

It was now 11 o'clock at night. Karen was sleeping in the tent Jim had set up. She couldn't sleep and she knew that Jim couldn't sleep either. He kept tossing and turning, yawning and sighing: it was getting a little repetitive.

There were so many thoughts running through her mind and a mix of emotions that were rummaging through her body. She felt concern, anger, jealously, hate, and sadness. She was happy with Jim for so long and she truly believed that she would be with him in the end and not Pam.

Karen came to the realization that she had lost. In fact, she had lost a long time ago. Jim's heart was and will always be with Pam. She knew that deep down inside her. She never won Jim's heart.

* * *

**So, that's that. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I don't want to offend anyone who is a Jim/Pam/Karen fan, since I put all three of them down at times. But I hope you guys still liked it. It will probably be a while again before I add another chapter though. **


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